To ensure that you acquire an advanced knowledge and understanding of the main principles of English Contract Law in its social, economic and political context

To understand the impact of EU Law in English law and to have a solid understanding of the resulting reforms

To develop your analytical and critical skills

To enable a strong knowledge and research skills base to enable you to recognize the differences between Contract and Tort Law and to apprecaite the importance of Contract Law to related specialist Commercial legal subjects

To provide you with a strong foundation for other contract related modules and vocational law courses

To develop your skills to work in a team including your communication, negotiation and persuasion skills

To develop your skills as an independent learner including time management

(LO1) Write concisely and coherently about the Law relating to Contract, developmental, policy and social implications

(LO2) Present coherent and effective written argument about issues relating to Contract Law

(LO3) Understand the language of the Law of Contract;

(LO4) Use primary and secondary sources of Law relating to contract effectively

(LO5) Analyse, evaluate and form critical judgements on individual cases and statutes

(LO6) Appreciate the influence of policy on the development of the Law of Contract

(LO7) Apply substantive law and legal reasoning skills to hypothetical cases

(LO8) Be able to understand and use primary legal materials

(LO9) Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the key cases and statutory provisions

(LO10) Demonstrate in writing a knowledge of the basic principles of English contract law

(LO11) Identify and engage with contemporary debates while accurately reporting the law in an area of contract law

(S1) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S2) Critical thinking and problem solving - Problem identification

(S3) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills)

(S4) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Influencing skills – persuading

(S5) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Presentation skills - written

(S6) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Following instructions/protocols/procedures

(S7) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Listening skills

(S8) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Presentation Skills - oral

(S9) Improving own learning/performance - Self-awareness/self-analysis

(S10) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Influencing skills – argumentation

(S11) Working in groups and teams - Group action planning

(S12) Improving own learning/performance - Self-awareness/self-analysis

(S13) Be able to work effectively within a team of your peers.

(Indicative)

Semester 1

Lectures

Formation of Contracts - offer and acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations

Parties to a Contract - the privity rule and modifications;

Discussion of formative assessment (essay) on consideration and variation of contracts;

Content of the contract - conditions, warranties and innominate terms, sources of terms

Problem Solving exercise - incorporation of terms

Semester 2

Lectures

Policing the formation process - misrepresentation, mistake;

Policing the content of the contract - Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations;

Ending the Contract - discharge for breach and frustration;

Remedies for breach of contract - damages, specific performance, economic context

Problem Solving exercise - classifying and quantifying contractual damages

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Not yet decided
Notes: The core content of the syllabus will be covered over 48 hours of lectures. Those lectures will track the ‘life’ of a contract and will be drawn from the following topics –pre-contractual negotiation, formation, content, control of unfair terms, grounds for ending the contract and remedies for breach of contract. Relevant theoretical and contextual perspectives will be introduced at appropriate points, eg, lectures on unfair terms are framed with reference to competing policies of free choice and consumer protection.

Teaching Method 2 - Seminar
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Not yet decided
Notes: Students will be requird to answer set questions having undertaken research on focussed areas covered in lectures. Seminars are intended to develop self study skills with staff guidance so students have the opportunityto enhance their learning skills whilst reinforcing the areas of the law covered in lectures

Teaching Method 3 - Other
Description: Drop In
Attendance Recorded: No
Notes: 3 one hour Drop-in sessions in each semester for which work will be set